SZA Drops Video Teaser for “The Weekend” Video, Directed by Solange

Nobody likes a 9-to-5

Even though it was literally seconds-long, SZA’s preview for “The Weekend” music video got over half a million views on Instagram.

Fans first got word of the video in August, after SZA did an interview with USA Today. The “Broken Clocks” singer revealed that it would show 10 different looks and locations, but she remained tight-lipped about the theme and general direction of the video. She did, however, share one important detail: Solange Knowles is the video’s director.

“I love her,” SZA said. “I think the universe is just bringing us closer to each other. That’s my homegirl.”

Source: Instagram @sza

Collab of the Year

Source: Instagram @sza

“The Weekend” is in good hands, as Solange has experience directing music videos. About a month after the singer’s third studio album A Seat at the Table was released — and quickly became no. 1 in America — two music videos from the LP blessed the internet. “Don’t Touch My Hair” and “Cranes in the Sky” were both directed by Solange herself alongside her husband Alan Ferguson.

After seeing the visuals from Solange’s A Seat at the Table, fans’ knew the collaboration between SZA and the younger Knowles sister would bring great things.

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Going Platinum

Source: Instagram @sza

Full of comfort music and side-chick anthems, Ctrl is SZA’s debut album. The long-awaited LP — which comes after SZA co-wrote Nicki Minaj’s “Feelin’ Myself” and Rihanna’s “Consideration” — hit no. 3 on the US Billboard 200 and pushed 60k album-equivalent units within its first week. As last reported, SZA moved 315k album-equivalent units total.

Her road to success wasn’t always clear though. The star will tell anyone who’s listening that the road to stardom was long and full of doubt from herself and others. During an interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra, SZA talked about a time that even Jay-Z had his doubts. “Jay-Z was the first person to tell me that he thought I was a fluke, to my face,” she said. “I laughed and I said, so do I.”

Her encounter with the New York rapper was after her monumentally successful album though, so his comments weren’t all bad.

His harsh statement was actually apart of a compliment, as he revealed that SZA made him eat his words. “He was just like, ‘You’re really good, you’re pretty good,’ and I was like ‘Thanks,’” she said. “He said, ‘I thought you were a fluke’ and I was like, ‘me too!’”

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Recognition From the Greats

Source: Instagram @sza

Aside from Jigga’s praise, Lorde snatched SZA to remix her track “Homemade Dynamite” just as Jay’s wife Beyonce gave SZA a head nod for “Love Galore.” The video of Bey vibing to the track sent “Love Galore” and SZA herself into overdrive. “STILL SCREAMING N CASE U WERE WONDERING BYE,” SZA wrote under the video of Bey’s set to the song.

No video went more viral than Solange’s ode to SZA though. After Solange posted an Instagram video of herself singing “Love Galore” over the summer, it was shared, watched, and liked countless times.